warriorsfanficfandomcom-20200213-history
Affection/Eleven
ELEVEN ~ ASHPAW this was when everything happened, and shook us up i admit, it was a sting but I didn't have a backup A roar in my ears started to echo at the cry of battle, and at once, I leapt forward at Shadestar's command. I looked around for any enemies that I may be able to face, but in general I didn't have much idea of what to do. Mock battles, sure. I'd encountered a lot of those in my apprenticeship. But this... no. I'd never been in a real battle. This was different. Yowls were splitting the air as cats fought with one another, scarlet appearing on the ground below my paws. Most cats were fighting: I was one of the few not engaging in battle thus far. Deciding that I needed to fight, I went in search for an opponent. Swerving around a fight, in which Strongstorm was trying to fend off a rather large Darkness cat, I looked around. There wasn't much other cats... seeing as both groups had similar numbers, but I was pretty sure I would find someone... That was when I saw the yellow she-cat race towards me. She seemed familiar... but I couldn't put my paw on it. I knew I'd seen her before, but where...? Then, I remembered: That first time... she was with those two leaders. And as I thought this, I felt myself fall to the ground, as the cat swiped at me, hitting me hard enough with blunt force to topple me over. I winced as I hit the ground, feeling pain. Ouch... better not lose my attention again. Jolted back to attention, I scrabbled quickly to my paws as the yellow cat aimed another attack. She charged, but this time, I was ready. This time, I went forward to meet her, and we banged right into each other. Gripping to one another, we rolled into a ball, uncontrollably, before it stopped, and it fell apart. The she-cat had pinned me down, her long claws sinking into my flesh. I could see scarlet starting to spring up where they were sinking in, and I winced. "You," she hissed, staring me into my eyes. Her gaze, though bright, was seemingly cold. "I should've killed you the first time I encountered you." That was the moment that I finally remembered her name. Auro... her name was Auro. That was what it was... I thrashed under her grip, trying to swipe at Auro, but to no avail. "I'' should be the one to kill ''you," I retorted, hissing while making another attempt to injure the she-cat. Auro's eyes narrowed. "We'll see about that," she hissed as she took one of her front paws delicately off me, and started to size up another blow. I tried making another swipe up, and this time it worked. As it hit her leg, Auro - caught with surprise - lost her balance and fell off, her claws coming loose with my skin, giving us both a chance to get back to our paws. I was first up. I watched Auro for a moment, and she looked furious. "You're not going to do that again, are you?" Before I could think, before I could move, she'd charged right up to me, and leapt. I felt her claws sink into my back, and I fell once more, trying to get up, trying to swipe... but it was no use. Try as I might, Auro landed blow after blow on me, and I felt myself growing weaker and weaker. This isn't working... "That should be enough," Auro mewed finally, after a while of this happening. Then, she got off me, and fled off back into battle, looking for another opponent. My wounds stung: all of them were like fire. I got to my paws weakly, and managed to stagger a few steps off to the side of the battle, before I could walk no more. I felt myself go weak again, and I fell. I could see the battle, in the distance. The yowls were ringing in my ears. Now, because of this incident, they made me shudder. Battle wasn't a nice thing. And by the continually weakening feeling that was slowly seeping along my body, I wasn't sure if I would ever be in battle again. "Ashpaw! No!!!" I heard a scream in the faint distance, before I saw a golden shape race over to me from the battle. I recognized them when they got up close, seeing the now-blurry black splotches on their pelt. Cheetahpaw... I thought, feeling that tingle down my spine once more. I blinked, expecting my vision to clear, but it didn't. I felt Cheetahpaw brush against my fur, then a second cat did the same. I recognized Riverbird's - the medicine cat's - scent at once. Above me, I could hear Cheetahpaw pleading with her: "Can you do anything to save him?" Riverbird didn't say anything with words. However I was sure of what she was going to say, as I saw some scarlet blood pool around my paws. Cheetahpaw confirmed this was a loud scream, and I felt her press hard into my pelt. "N-''No!'' You must be able to d-do something!!!" she pleaded loudly. "I can't... if I could, I would, but his wounds are just too severe." Riverbird's voice was heavy, and shortly after that, I smelt that the medicine cat's scent had faded. She'd gone. "A-Ashpaw?" I heard Cheetahpaw's stammering voice as she turned to face me, her large eyes round as you stared at me. "A-Are you th-there?" I grunted in answer to her question, trying to save whatever breath I had left. I felt a tingle down my spine again - for perhaps, the last time. And in the face of death, I finally realized, after so long, what that feeling was. I just couldn't find the right words for it... but now, I could. It was love. That's what it was! "...Cheetahpaw?" I breathed softly, knowing that this was something that had to be told. Cheetahpaw turned to me, looking upset already. "Ashpaw...?" I looked up ever so slightly, but it was getting harder and harder to move. I had to say this now... because if I didn't, I wouldn't have another chance. "Cheetahpaw, I..." I broke off, losing breath, and unsure what to say. "I... I love you..." Cheetahpaw's gaze rounded slightly, and I waited in apprehension for her answer. Her gaze seemed to soften as it met mine. "Oh, Ashpaw..." I heard her breathe. "I... I love you too. I... I can't believe this at all," she whispered quietly into my ear at the last part. "I can't believe... the affection that we now have for each other." I purred weakly, accepting her words. This was what I wanted... although I knew it would never last. For me, I knew that the end was coming. And before long, my vision started to turn a dizzingly black, and I submitted myself to it, as I took my final breath and fell still at last. sometimes you need to care sometimes you need to rise above sometimes everyone needs a place where they are able to feel love